Well we are only two months away from Christmas! Do you have your shopping done yet? Not me. I haven't even started yet. I'm sort of a procrastinator. I do my best work when I'm under the gun to get it done. Now I don't wait until Christmas Eve to do my shopping. That's cutting it a bit too close for my comfort but I do usually wait until December. My budget wishes I would do it throughout the year like my mom does, but my penchant for procrastination just doesn't allow for it. ;-D Oh well, sigh!

Okay, now I'm going to get on my soap box (you've been warned!).

What's up with healthcare? Insurance in particular. Our insurance rates are fixing to go up almost twenty-five percent!!!! That's highway robbery to me. If you don't have insurance, you're doomed because of the cost of a doctor visit, or worse yet, a hospital visit. And you're doomed to paying through the nose if you do have insurance. It's a catch-22! Because of it, our insurance industry is sure making socialized medicine look pretty good to me.

I recently had a lengthy discussion with some of my in-laws about the pros and cons of socialized medicine. Their main concern was they didn't want the government to be in control of our healthcare. But my take on it is, is the government any better than the insurance industry?

The insurance industry is basically able to say what treatment you can and can't have. In some cases, refusing treatments that can really help someone or maybe even cure them. All to keep from spending the almighty buck! I think it's a shame when a company is more concerned about making money than about helping to cure illnesses. I know they have to make money, but if you take care of people correctly, wouldn't you be able to save money in the long run? Let the doctors make the decision about what treatment is needed and let the insurance company pay for it since that is why we purchase insurance in the first place. Yes, some people will use it more than others, but some people will use it less. That's just the way it works.

On the flip side, WE have to take better care of ourselves so that we don't have to be treated for something that is preventable if we just did what we already know we should:

Eat right, don't smoke or use tobacco products, exercise regularly, drink only minimally, and get regular checkups (especially when you know you have a medical history that's less than perfect).

Just like preventative maintenance on your car helps it last longer and run better, so too, taking preventative steps with your health will go a long way to keeping you out of the doctor's office and making you feel a whole lot better. Who knows, it may even help drop those insurance premiums if people didn't get sick as often because they keep such good care of themselves.

It's something to think about.

Chatatcha later!
Alisa